Initially planning staff, advised by a subcommittee of local business leaders, had drafted a set of ordinances to help staff create a detailed record of all features at new and existing parks, to ensure consistent standards for RV and manufactured housing parks and to equip the city with more “teeth” to enforce the rules.

In the original draft, there was a provision for existing, or “legally nonconforming” parks. This meant existing park owners did not have to meet all the new rules when they were enacted, unless they were expanding or abandoning the park.

“If you have an existing condition, you should in no way be overburdened,” Howard said.

Even if an existing owner was expanding the park, he or she could have requested a variance from the council — asking for exemptions if new rules presented too much of a hardship.

“That was the thing we were trying to get across ... in extenuating circumstances or special circumstance you have the variance process and the appeal process,” Howard said. “You always have to look at every single circumstance and look case-by-case.”

The council decided at Tuesday’s meeting, however, that it didn’t want any of the new rules to apply to existing parks and park owners — no permit fees, no additional inspections and no need to meet the new rules if they expand their parks.

“I think it’s the only fair thing to do,” Fleming said, adding that he was in favor of the new rules, but wanted the existing parks “grandfathered” in. “It’s going to make it very, very hard for new parks to come in,” he said.

Howard said, however, exempting current parks from all the new rules could cause some legal concern.

“The city attorney was trying to infer (at Tuesday’s meeting) that it could be problematic. Applying the same standard across the board is probably the best course of action,” Howard said. “We gave our professional recommendation, legal weighed in, but other things kind of overrode that.”

Marshal Gray, owner of the San Angelo KOA Campgrounds, is one of many local park owners who voiced his displeasure at the proposed regulations over the past several weeks.

“That’s micromanaging our business,” Gray said. “I thought they were going to try to change the rules as we were playing by it.”

Gray, whose park was built in 1969 and has about six staffers, said he was most opposed to some of the fees and the additional inspections the new ordinance would have required.

“Apartments and hotels don’t have to pay for an annual permit,” Gray said. “I want to be treated the same as everybody else.”

He added that current inspections, such as one by the fire marshal, should be adequate, Gray said.

Fleming also said that if a current park is not in compliance after the new rules are in place, local residents can contact Code Compliance, saying that there are mechanisms already in place to enforce regulations.

Since meeting with city staff and hashing out the ordinance language and existing park owners’ interests, Gray said he is more than pleased with how things turned out.

City staffers “are really trying to do a very good job,” Gray said. “They listened and were receptive. They’re working for the best interest of the city. Now, it’s the final product that I want to see.”

Fleming said he still is not in favor of additional inspections and annual fees, even for new parks coming into the city.

San Angelo officials still have some parsing of words and fine tuning to do before they can pass the new ordinances.

The city’s second 90-day moratorium will expire May 16. If the new ordinances are not enacted by then, the city will revert to the old regulations.

“There have been very emotional responses to the idea of how (existing park owners) did not want to be treated,” Howard said. “Some of the objections are more philosophical.”

In the coming weeks, Howard said he hopes for something that residents can live with, but also something that still will be effective 10, 20, even 30 years in the future.

“This is every planner’s desire and reason for living: to help preserve, to help plan and articulate. You obviously want to try considering what all occurs. ... It’s always a balance,” Howard said